Union Sweeps Saints in Final Games of 2009 Season
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Tara FreemanMelissa Rogers '11 was 2-for-4 with a run scored against Union in Game 2.
May 3: The St. Lawrence University softball team completed its 2009 season on Sunday afternoon against Union College in Schenectady, NY. The Saints lost the opening game 9-1 in five innings before falling to the Dutchwomen in game two by the score of 7-3.
The Saints finish the year with a 5-25 record, including a 1-7 mark in Liberty League play. Union improves to 28-6 on the season and 5-3 in the conference.
St. Lawrence held a 1-0 lead in game one after tallying the opening score of the game in the top of the second inning. Senior Meg Richardson earned a leadoff walk against Union's Tiffany Ippoliti and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Sandy Gates. Sophomore Meg Goodemote then delivered an RBI single to left to plate Richardson and put the Scarlet and Brown ahead 1-0.
The Dutchwomen would respond with a run on two hits in the bottom half of the second when Becky Gronczniak scored on a wild pitch from Goodemote, who started on the mound for the visitors. After the Saints left a runner on base in both the third and fourth innings, Union took its first lead at 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Callee Heywood scored on a two-out error by the Saints in the infield.
After Ippoliti retired the Saints in order in the top of the fifth, the Dutchwomen exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the inning to win game one, 9-1. Alexandra King hammered a three-run homerun, while Kaitlin Graham added an RBI single to put Union ahead 6-1. Bridget Graham continued to pour on the offense for the home team against Goodemote, as she followed with an RBI single and Megan Kaknis walked to score another run. Though sophomore Rachel Duffany relieved Goodemote with two outs and the bases loaded, she was unable to retire Nina Cervini, who walked in the game's final run to give the Dutchwomen a 9-1 victory.
Ippoliti improved to 11-2 on the year after allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out three. Goodemote suffered the loss and fell to 0-15 on the season after giving up eight earned runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings. She also gave up six walks while recording one strikeout, but was the only St. Lawrence batter to record two hits against Ippoliti.
Despite suffering the loss in game one, St. Lawrence regrouped and jumped all over Union's starting pitcher Lindsay Colvin. The first four batters reached base, while junior Molly Swan delivered an RBI single to put the visitors ahead 1-0 and chase Colvin from the game. Senior Emilie Lannamann's groundout scored another run for the Saints, though Ginni Sack escaped the jam she inherited by stranding two base-runners.
After Union tied the game in the bottom of the first at 2-2 on a double by Michelle Rogers off of Duffany,
St. Lawrence again threatened in the top of the second. With the bases loaded and two outs, Swan ripped an RBI single to center to score Goodemote and put the Saints ahead 3-2. However, Sack again worked out of trouble, getting Lannamann to ground out to end the inning and keep Union well within striking distance.
The Dutchwomen tied the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Bridget Graham, then took their first lead at 4-3 in the bottom of the third when Kaknis drilled a solo homerun to left field. Though St. Lawrence would again load the bases in the top of the fourth, they were unable to push across the tying run.
The home team would put the game away with three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on two hits and an error. All three runs came with two outs, with the big hit coming again from Bridget Graham, a two-run homerun to put the Dutchwomen up 7-3. Sack then pitched a scoreless seventh inning to preserve the win for Union.
St. Lawrence stranded 12 runners on base in game two. Duffany took the loss after allowing four earned runs on 10 hits. Sack earned the victory and improved to 12-3 on the year after scattering six hits in 7.0 innings, while allowing only one earned run and striking out five batters.
Sophomore Melissa Rogers record two hits and scored a run for St. Lawrence, while Swan finished 2-of-4 with two RBI's.